The Stronger Love
by SugarQuillCandy
Summary: “No, Ginny,” Harry rubbed his temple. She was being frustrating on purpose. “Why didn’t you wait for me?” Her eyes changed from sharp to dagger points. “I did wait. I waited and waited and waited. And after I waited that long, I waited some more.
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I own none but Jason; the rest is JK Rowling's property.

**The Stronger Love**

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Where we love is home,  
Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.  
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., Homesick in Heaven

* * *

The loud _pop!_ cracked in the air like a whip, and Harry patiently awaited his turn at the front of the apparition line. In front of him, dozens of wizards grumbled at the long wait. Ever since the fall of Voldemort, many things had changed, including the institution of top-notch security. 

His mind, however, was on other matters. Today was the day he would be returning to England. It had been a long time, too long. Seven years, to tell the truth. He felt more than a little nervous, the anxiousness boiled in his stomach and his heart pounded. He had been dreading and putting this day off for years. Now was the time to face it.

The line moved forward slightly. Pops filled the air from other various stations, going to different regions of England. Of course, this was just the hall for those traveling to England. There were more halls in the Apparition Center than Harry was capable of counting. Each one was assigned a specific country. The amount of travelers to a certain country determined how long its lines were, and England was one of the most traveled, since it was the location of a Ministry.

Harry's thoughts began to wander once more. He was filled with a sudden excitement. He was going home! What a relief that would be, despite his apprehension. He had missed it so much over the years. He could not wait to see everyone again. Ron, Hermione, the Weasleys, his old classmates.

And, he mused, it would be very nice to see a certain red-head again.

He was especially nervous and excited to see Ginny again. When he had left, they'd been in a good place, and it broke his heart to leave her. But he had to do it. No matter what she thought, he did not have any choice in the matter. He hoped that she would forgive him and they could begin a relationship again.

An hour later, Harry reached the front of the apparition queue. He removed his papers from a folder and handed them to the station manager. They were scanned for any incorrect information, the manager magically made a copy for himself and returned the original to Harry. Given the go-ahead, Harry concentrated and with a pop, he was gone.

* * *

"Ginny, dear. Could you please just join us for a little while tonight?" Molly Weasley pleaded with her daughter. 

"Mum, Jason has a very important dinner meeting with the company tonight," Ginny replied. "He really wants me there. I have to go."

"Oh alright," her mother sighed. "You haven't been to any of the family dinners in such a long time, and we all miss you. And it is Ron's birthday today, and he'll want you there."

"Well, I suppose I will drop by after dinner and see if he is still there. I have a present for him, so tell him to stay, okay?"

After hanging up with her mom, Ginny knew that Ron would never hang around at home on his birthday, since Hermione probably had her own romantic evening all set up for him. But, it was worth a shot, and it satisfied her mum, so everything turned out alright in the end.

Deciding to get ready for the big dinner that night, Ginny showered and applied her make-up. She put on a lavender dress and threw on a white sweater in case it got chilly. It was beautiful during the day, if not a little rainy, but it was May and summer was around the bend, bringing promises of love and happiness.

Her wedding was scheduled for August 5th, and although that was almost three months away, it seemed like only three days. Planning a wedding was tricky business. And expensive. Thankfully, Jason was a successful business man for Wizard Technologies, a company that dealt with special wizarding gadgets to make life for the ordinary wizard even easier. His region of business dealt with advertising new products and dealing with the wizarding community. Ginny smiled as she though about that. He was definitely fit for the job; an outgoing people person, and everyone loved him. Including Ginny. She loved him and she wanted to be with him forever.

* * *

Harry stood outside of the Burrow door for five minutes. It had been seven years. Recently that phrase had seemed to become his mantra. _Seven years. _He had talked to nobody, erased all contact with everybody, sans one person. However, this person had no idea that Harry was about to show up. 

For a fleeting second, Harry worried that they would all shun him. After all, it was not like he had let them all know when and why he left, or where he went. He imagined Mrs. Weasley had spent many sleepless nights worrying over him, and he was sure she still did, sometimes. Harry felt the worst for not telling her. It must have broken her heart. And as welcoming as she was, he worried that she would punish him for that torment and refuse to let him stay.

As Harry stood there for minutes more, fretting about his situation, he heard footsteps in the hall inside, coming towards the door. Before he could react, the door was opening.

"Yes, Fred, you duffer. The shipment specifically _said _that it would be in _yesterday, _and I was banking on it," George was whispering in conspiratorial tones. "Ron would believe it too… you know how thick-"

As soon as the door was fully open and Harry had a complete view of the twins, so also did they have a full view of him.

George seemed to have been rendered speechless, as did Fred. The two stood there and stared at him, making Harry very uncomfortable.

"Are you kidding me, George?" Fred asked his twin. "Wait. Are you really Harry?"

"In the flesh," Harry provided them with an uncertain smile. He did not know whether they were mad or glad.

"Blimey George," Fred said again. Then, he reached out and poked Harry's arm. George did the same. Then, Fred pinched him very hard.

"OW!" Harry shouted, surprised at the pain. "Why'd you do that?"

"Sorry," Fred said. "Just had to see if you were actually real."

Harry looked at them questioningly.

"Ah, Harry," the twins looked at each other, and George said,"Why don't we, uh, go for a walk."

They both shut the door and the three of them started out walking next to the road in front of the Burrow.

"So, what brings you back to good ole' England Harry?" Fred inquired.

"I wanted to come home," Harry said simply. "I was tired of being away for so long."

"So… you're just coming back because you can?" George looked at him doubtfully.

"I missed everyone. A lot. That was one of the main reasons."

Fred and George exchanged glances. Harry remembered that he hated when they did that.

"Well, you see Harry," George began. "Things aren't exactly the same as they were when you left. I mean, it has been, what? Five or six years?"

Harry grimaced. "Seven." It did sound bad this time.

"Yeah, and that's a long time. People can change a lot in seven years. I mean, you haven't seen anyone since then, have you?"

Harry shook his head. This was getting worse by the moment.

"And if you just show up, it's a pretty big shock. If you really want to know, Bill is not married yet, but he's dating this one girl, Rochelle or some French name. Charlie is married, his wife's name is Sarah. They have two girls, real cute kids. Percy married Penelope, of course, and they're living in Australia right now. Marriage has made him real adventurous, you see," George grinned at him. "We, of course, are still single, but you can't expect more from us. We're tied in a holy bond with our shop. And Ron-"

"Ron and Hermione are married, I know that," Harry cut in. Seeing the twin's quizzical faces, though, he hastily informed them, "They were engaged before I left." There was a pause, as Harry waited for them to explain Ginny, who was next in line. When they didn't, he prompted them.

They both frowned, and immediately their stances became more guarded. "Ginny's fine. She's very happy right now." And they did not elaborate further.

The walk now continued in a tense silence.

"How's your mum?" Harry decided to ask after a few minutes.

"She's good, like usual," Fred said. "Still after us about our shop-"

"Or should we say, 'shops'," George interrupted. "We are now located in five different places, three of which are located in England, one in France, and we are going to open our premier shop in Australia this August. We're rolling in dough, I might pleasantly add. It's really helping the family out, too," he and Fred put on goofy smiles.

Harry was impressed. "Wow, Australia. That's pretty big."

Fred nodded. "Yeah. Percy, of all people, managed to make some connections down there, as only he can do, and it ended up working for our benefit also."

"No kidding. Who ever suspected Percy would be furthering our joke endeavors someday," George laughed evilly.

"So the whole family is taking a big trip down there at the end of July. We'll all be spending three weeks there, what with our shop opening, and Ginny's-" Suddenly Fred stopped talking. Harry, whose interest had been piqued by the mention of Ginny, was disappointed.

"Never mind. I suppose you'll find out later," George said. Then he smiled. "Oy Fred, I got an idea," he said.

Fred raised his eyebrows in curiosity. The two removed themselves from Harry and walked a few feet away. They talked for a few minutes. When it appeared they were finished, they rejoined Harry.

"Alright, then," George said, turning to him. "We have an idea. Our present for Ron's birthday did not show up, and we had no idea what to give him."

"Until now," Fred said. "Harry, would you like to be our birthday present to Ron?"

"He'd be thrilled to see you-"

"And we think that we'll just hide you in our room, and then right before dinner, we'll bring you downstairs, present you all formally, Ron will be shocked-"

"Mum will probably break a few dishes, faint, and sob with happiness-"

"But we think it could work well."

Harry raised his eyebrows. It was all a little too much for him to take in. But then again, this way, he could present himself to the entire family and deal with all of their reactions simultaneously, instead of one at a time. That was beneficial. Plus, he didn't have anything to give to Ron for his birthday, and he knew Ron had been waiting for him to come home for months, and what better time to surprise him than on his birthday.

"Alright," Harry said, after thinking it over. "But you're only presenting me. No jokes, no poison, no tricks, and no giving me any deformities."

"Good," Fred said. "Deal?"

Harry shook each of their hands. "Done."

* * *

At six-thirty, Ginny spotted Jason when she arrived at the Piereto in downtown London, a trendy restaurant amidst many expensive boutiques that peppered the streets. 

"Jason!" She called, awarding him with a huge smile. She had not seen him in two days, since he had been away on business. She missed him.

He quickly strode over to her and held her arms as he kissed her on the lips. "I missed you," he informed her when they were done.

"I missed you too," she replied. "So where is everyone? Already at their fancy table drinking champagne and eating expensive cuisine?" She joked.

"Gin, you know that we shouldn't make fun of tonight until after it's over," Jason lightly reprimanded. "Who knows? The food could taste excellent."

Ginny rolled her eyes. Jason had a tongue for fancy grub and there was nothing she could do to cure him of it. "You know I hate restaurant food, Jason. Nothing can quite live up to my mother's-"

"Yes, yes, your mother's home cooking. I've heard," he winked at her.

"Well, you do realize that we are missing Ron's birthday dinner tonight, and my mum was quite frustrated that I had to spend my time with a bunch of schmucky businessmen instead," she tossed in a fake haughty air.

"Oh, well, isn't that terrible, my dear. Come on, lets go find the group."

Dinner was, as Ginny had expected, quite boring. All business jargon that made no sense to her ears. She wondered how people would manage to talk about the same thing for hours on end, but here she was, listening to the simultaneous drone of stuffy rich men talk and talk about money.

Not that Jason was a stuffy rich man, of course. She glanced over at him with a half smile on her face and admired his features. He was a very tall man, lean and blonde. His hair was neatly combed, and his suit was clean and crisp. Ginny loved the continuous twinkle in his blue eyes, and the smile he beamed on everyone he encountered.

Jason glanced her way and caught her smiling at him. He winked and she returned it.

Ginny was so happy, happier than she had been in years. The thought of marrying him this summer made her queasy with excitement, and she wanted to jump out of her skin and laugh out loud. But that would be extremely unorthodox, especially at a formal dinner such as this, so she contained her excitement to smiles.

She had met him four years ago, when she was twenty years old, and he was twenty-one. He had come to Fred and George's shop, having made a good business transaction with the twins, who wanted to buy some of their gadgets to destroy and "repair". Little did he know, part of the transaction ended up turning him into a string bean, and a rather large one at that. Ginny, who had evidently been the only one to notice, yelled at her brothers for minutes on end about turning innocent strangers into strange objects or, in Jason's case, vegetables. The twins turned him back into a regular sized human being.

Once restored to his everyday body, Jason and Ginny began dating, which eventually led her to be where she was today. His fiancé.

* * *

Harry paced the hallway outside of the Weasley family room and kitchen. The fresh air, change of scenery, and opportunity to stretch his legs was welcomed with happiness, but apprehension soon took its place. From here, he could hear all of them. He could hear Mr. Weasley's babbling, Mrs. Weasley commanding the dinner, the boys laughing, Hermione pestering, and Ron responding to said pestering. 

He had been listening with hopeful ears for Ginny's voice, but he did not hear it. That was odd. She was quite a talkative person, and would be enthused to join in her older brother's conversations about Quidditch. Harry wondered what was wrong with her tonight.

It was odd, having them all together in the next room, right there for him, and yet he still felt out of place and separated from them- and not just because there was a wall between them. He hadn't seen any of their faces (except Fred and George) in much more than a couple of years. What did they look like? Harry wanted to see how they had changed, and he wanted to put a name and face to the new voices he heard.

He also felt guilt. Especially in the cases of Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, and Hermione.

Suddenly, the room went quiet at the sound of a loud bang. George's voice was heard: "Attention all! Silence all! Yes, that's more like it. Well, all me and Fred can say is that Ron has been a great brother for the past 25 years-"

"And a great pawn in testing our various products," Fred added.

"Yes, that too. So tonight, to honor our little brother, we have a very, very special surprise. Not just for little Ronnie-kins, but for all of you."

"So without further ado, we would like to present…" Fred stomped around the floor in imitation of a drumroll.

"Come on out!" George yelled in Harry's general direction.

Harry took a deep breath, and pushing aside thoughts of doubt and fear, he stepped into the room.

What had been excited chatter the minute Fred and George announced they had a surprise stopped like an auto that rams into a wall.

He stood there. They looked, and he looked some more. Harry gave an insecure smile at the many, gaping mouths. His vision was blurry. Man, there was a lot of red hair.

There was the sound of breaking glass as someone dropped a dish in the kitchen, shattering it all over the floor. When he turned to look, he saw Hermione bounding over to him. Jumping over large chunks of glass, she leaped right into his arms and buried her head in his shoulder. After that, he was vaguely aware of what happened. Hermione was sobbing and repeating his name over and over again. Bill and Charlie shook his hands and Charlie introduced his family, Mr. Weasley gave him a huge hug. Ron came up to him. They looked at each other for a long while, and then Ron nodded and said "It's the best gift, mate. Thanks," and then they slapped each other on the back.

The best reaction, however, was that of Mrs. Weasley. With tears in her eyes, she swept him up into her biggest hug yet, and, while planting motherly kisses all over his head, told him "I'm so glad you're back, son". After that, Harry knew there would be no issues over where he would stay.

His eyes raked the room, and the one thing that saddened him in all of the happiness was the absence of Ginny.

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Please review because it makes me really happy, and give me any comments, constructive criticism soI can improve the story. Thanks for reading! 


	2. Chapter 2

**BIG HUGE thanks going out to my first reviewers (you guys made me so happy, homeade brownies for all!):The Shieldmaiden-Lady of Rohan, Schatje, luka-black, Lucy, and... anonymous. **

**Anyways, before you get on reading the next installment, that I am a sucker for red-haired guys. I don't know why. Which is why I would marry a Weasley guy. **

**So, alright, enough random comments, let's all find out how Ginny reacts to Harry's return...**

**Enjoy!****

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The Stronger Love

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"_**She sensed the presence of a significant body just off her left shoulder. She wasn't sure with which sense she sensed it. He was too far away to touch him or to feel his body heat. He was too far behind her for her to see him. Until she turned, that is. **_

_**Her eyes seemed to go in and out of focus. Was it him? Of course it was him! Was it him?" **_

**_Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares_**

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"Ginny, Merlin, you're jumping off the walls!" Jason exclaimed. "What's with you tonight?" 

"I just realized, during that dinner, just how exciting and wonderful and happy our wedding is going to be," Ginny said. "We'll be down in Australia, the sun will be shining, right on the beach, and our honeymoon will be amazing, and my entire family will be there. Well, I know that might become a slight curse for us on the honeymoon, but they're loveable enough and will hopefully respect the boundaries of privacy. I'm so excited for my dress to come in, because I ordered it from France, which you of course know, but I'm so thrilled for what it will look like. You do know, though, of course, that you will not be able to see me in it before the wedding though, because that is bad luck," Ginny babbled on and on happily.

"Well, of course," Jason said, smiling at Ginny's enthusiasm. "But I have no worries that you will look anything short of radiantly beautiful."

Ginny's smile was as bright as the sun as she sidled up close to him. "I love you so much Jason. You make me the happiest person in the world." With that, she jumped on his back and he proceeded to carry her piggy back through the streets of London.

The two were heading back to Ginny's flat, where they were going to grab Ron's present and then apparate over to The Burrow. Hopefully, Ginny thought, they would catch the last of the family dinner. Usually, only a few people would still be there. Charlie and Sarah had to take Maddie and Daisy home to go to bed, so she assumed they would be gone. Bill would probably still be at home, since he usually stayed over on family dinner nights, and Ron and Hermione would have gone. Ginny hoped her mum told Ron that she and Jason were coming home later to give him his gift.

Jason had gone out and picked Ron's gift this time. He knew Ron well enough by now- after all, he had been going to the family dinners for more than three years, most of which were birthdays. Jason used his connections at work to get Ron a Broomstick Care Kit, only it was amped up to do everything automatically, instead of manually. Clip the tool on at night, and the broom would be cleaned, trimmed, polished, recharged, and refreshed for the next day. Especially helpful for those who travel by broom. Ron would love it, Ginny knew, and she was immensely proud of Jason's wise choice.

The evening was beautiful, Ginny mused while traveling on the back of Jason, who was weaving his way through the many nighttime shoppers. The sun was going down, leaving a dusky color filling the sky, as daylight and darkness battled for supremacy. There was a chilly breeze blowing through, and Ginny could not wait to get to The Burrow, which she knew would be warm and comfy. She always felt that she was happiest at The Burrow, with Jason at her side and her family all around her. It was where she had gotten through all of the hard times and experienced the happiest times. It really was home, sweet home.

Once at the flat, Ginny ran to her room and grabbed Ron's present and searched her drawers for the card she bought earlier that week. She was a bit of a pack-rat and the drawers in her desk were more than a little messy- the card could be anywhere, and this could take hours. Opening another drawer, she looked around inside leafing through what appeared to be photos. Peering through them, she knew they were old ones. Mainly of her days at Hogwarts and shortly after she graduated. One picture near the bottom captured her eye. It was the reception after Ron and Hermione's wedding. There were many wildly dancing couples, flying all over the floor, in a swirl of gowns and tuxedos. Ron and Hermione could be distinguished from the rest, humongous smiles plastered on their faces.

Barely visible in a small corner of the picture was a petite, frail looking girl who was all alone, staring at the dancing couples with what was a mixture of envy and sadness. From an objective point of view, one would have noticed that she looked too thin. Her face was gaunt and hollow; there were bags underneath her eyes, the curls she had magically induced on her red hair hung limply and pathetically on her shoulders. You might have worried that she would start crying right there, with all of the happiness and joy surrounding her.

Ginny looked at the photograph for a minute, calmly observing not the spinning couples, not the color and happiness, but the girl hiding away in the corner, shying away from the party and the light. Her brow furrowed as she looked on, guarding herself from the wave of emotions that threatened to come if she looked any longer. This was _her_ the summer after she graduated from Hogwarts. _Her._ Not the portrait of some other depressed girl in a teenage magazine. _Ginny. _

_This is what you would still be today if you hadn't met Jason. _What she would still be if she didn't have a family that loved her, people that would _always_ be there for her, that would not ever leave her, no matter what the circumstance.

"Ginny, I found the card!" Jason shouted from the living room.

Ginny buried the photo deep down and shut the drawer. Collecting herself, she took the gift and left her bedroom.

"Alright Gin-Gin, let's go," and with that, Jason left with a pop.

* * *

Upon arrival at The Burrow, all Ginny found was a mountain of wrapping paper littering the floor of the family room. Only Mr. Weasley could be found in the kitchen, puttering around with some book that Sarah had recently given him on Muggle communications. (He really loved Sarah- she was a Muggle and always happy to treat him to an explanation of the various functions of toasters, etc.) 

"Hey Dad," Ginny said, giving him a hug and kiss on his cheek. "How was the party?"

"Well Ginny, the party was very nice. I think that Ron enjoyed it, and in fact, I believe that he and Hermione are still here; they're in the dining room, but, erm… Ginny, there is something I should probably tell you about the uh… the gift Fred and George got Ron. It's… well, it's, ah-"

"Gotcha Dad. No need to explain. Don't worry, I know Fred and George well enough by now. I won't eat or touch anything odd while I'm here, and I will keep eyes at the back of my head at all times. I've got it covered." With that, she skipped out of the room towards the dining room as Jason greeted her father.

Her mood was light and happy as she skipped into the dining room and pushed the swinging door open.

"Hello, everybody!" she smiled as she cheerfully announced her arrival. Squeezed around the dining room table were Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and a dark-haired man that Ginny assumed was either Bill or Ron's friend.

"Hi mum," she gave her mom a peck on the cheek and handed Ron his present. Everyone else, however, seemed slightly subdued. The air told her that they knew something they didn't.

"Is everything alright?" She asked tentatively.

"Ginny dear," her mum started. "Did you notice who else is at the table tonight?"

Ginny's eyes found the unfamiliar figure with messy black hair. "I don't think we've-"

She stopped when his eyes fastened on hers. She knew her eyes bugged out quite unattractively, but she couldn't help it. The room shrank, she wondered if she was dreaming an extremely bad dream. Everyone was looking at her with the same expression, but she couldn't see them, she could only see…

_"Harry?"_ She couldn't stop her voice from sounding appalled and Ron's gift fell with a thud to the floor. It was all too much to handle at once. Ginny felt her stomach churning with the unpleasant surprise, nausea toying with her dinner; it certainly was much too hot in this room. She had to get out of there.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

* * *

Harry despised himself. The look Ginny had fired him could induce nothing less. It was a look of hatred and he felt filthy under its glare. 

All of the attention in the room was riveted on him as they heard Ginny run to the bathroom and get sick. Harry turned red with shame. He might have assumed that Ginny would be angry with him tonight, but would forget the anger because she was happy to see him home again. He never entertained any thought that she would be physically sick at the sight of him. He felt like the lowest of scum as Mrs. Weasley ran out of the dining room after her daughter, face contorted with worry.

Immediately, a new face burst into the dining room; a handsome man who looked to be about his age. It was Harry's turn to be unpleasantly surprised.

"Where is she? What happened?" He asked worriedly.

"She got sick Jason," Hermione informed the newcomer. Harry could tell that Hermione was anxious, standing up and pacing as if wondering if she should go comfort Ginny or allow her space. "She's in the bathroom."

As quickly as he came in, the man named Jason rushed out and down the hall to the bathroom.

The silence in the room was uncomfortable, to say the least. Nobody said a word. All seated at the table were sneaking glances at Harry; he felt it. Perhaps if he weren't so busy hating himself at the moment, he would be concerned. Frankly, he wasn't.

Shame. Harry breathed it in as those around him breathed it out. The cycle began again. Everyone at the table right now had something to feel ashamed about. Hermione was pacing the floor, looking as if she were about to cry. Fred and George were looking down at their laps, as was Bill. Ron was slumped over the table, his head resting in the crook of his elbow, his face red.

Harry knew they all felt guilt over their happiness for his return. He recalled how joyous the family had been all that night, celebrating not only Ron's birthday but Harry's return. It imitated the Parable of the Prodigal Son in whole. Ron and Hermione were ecstatic to be in the company of their best friend again, Fred and George were jokingly praised for their wonderful gift by everyone.

But when they could hear the sounds of Ginny getting sick in the bathroom and softly sobbing, mixed with the comforting voices of her mum, dad, and Jason, things didn't seem so funny.

Harry knew all of the blame rested on him.

What seemed like forever (in reality twenty minutes later), Mrs. Weasley burst into the dining room with an air of business about her.

"Alright, everybody out. Go home. Ron, happy birthday, dear, but you should go home. It's getting late. And- well, I guess that everyone else is staying. Up to bed Bill, Fred, George. Harry, you stay, I want to talk to you."

Ron came up to Harry before he left. "I'm sorry mate. I should have told you-"he stopped, and then said, "I'll talk to you tomorrow." He gave Harry a sad smile, and clapped him on the back.

Hermione gave him an enormous hug before she went with Ron. "Don't worry Harry. It'll turn out fine. And remember, Ron and I still love you no matter what. We're so glad you're back," she gave a genuine smile and took Ron's hand as they both apparated with pops.

Once the room was empty, Mrs. Weasley sat down next to him and took his hand. Harry could tell that she wanted to be express more joy that, after seven long years, he was finally in front of her, but she refrained for her daughter's sake.

"I'm sorry," he told her. "Maybe I shouldn't stay here. I can go and live at Ron and Hermione's for a while, they'd put me up."

"Nonsense, Harry. We don't blame you for what happened, why you had to leave."

"Ginny certainly-"

"Ginny does not hate you either Harry. I don't think she could. It might take a while, but soon you will see," Mrs. Weasley paused and took a deep breath. "Harry dear, Ginny did not… she didn't handle it well when you left. It hit all of us extremely hard- but we understood that you had to leave, so don't think we don't love you because of it. Anyways," she continued, her voice softening at her next words. "It hit us pretty hard. We were worried to death, and sad, and even a little angry. But we were able to cope with it well enough. Ginny… Ginny did not get away so easily. After the initial worry that something had happened to you, she…" Mrs. Weasley could not seem to say what Ginny did. She drifted off. Harry could tell this was hard for her.

"She'll tell you someday, but I can't tell you. It's not my place to tell, dear, and I frankly don't want to. You've had enough unpleasant surprises for today. Let me make you some tea to put you to sleep, and you can go to bed.

Harry still had many questions to ask, but he did not feel like receiving any more bad news tonight. He just wanted the blissful escape of sleep- to escape his troubled mind and shameful heart.

Yet sleep was not going to cast her spell on Harry until he was able to mull over the night's events thoroughly.

Ginny, little Ginny, not-so-little Ginny anymore. Ginny smiling as she skipped into the room, her red hair and pretty dress. Still outgoing and vivacious as ever. He wanted that smile to stay on her face, and, if anything, increase when she saw him. It was apparently too much to hope for.

He had let her down. Now he understood that. He had thought when he left seven years ago, that she would be sad, but it would disappear, because she trusted him. She trusted that he would come back, which he would, and everything would be fine. Sure, seven years was a long while to wait, but love would bear it. He had faith that she trusted him to return.

But according to Mrs. Weasley, things had gone differently. At the moment, Harry did not want to know what horrible things Ginny had done that made her mum say that she "didn't cope with it well". Anymore guilt and he would explode.

Soon, sleep claimed him. His last thought focused on the man named Jason. Who was he, and what was he to Ginny?

* * *

After seeing Jason off to his flat, assuring him that she would be fine and not wanting to explain Harry to him, she made a cup of tea in the kitchen and headed up to bed. On her way there, she accidentally heard her mother in the dining room, presumably talking to Harry. Not being able to help herself, she had to stop and listen to what was being said about her. 

She caught a few words before she shut them out completely. "She'll tell you someday, but I can't tell you. It's not my place to tell, dear…" then her mum's voice trailed into a whisper, and Ginny was left with the words.

What was he doing here? He'd been gone for seven years, and then he decides to just come back, no message or anything? How did he expect Ginny would react? By running over and hugging him, kissing him all over his face and telling him she loved him? He must have no idea what the results of his departure were. No idea whatsoever.

Walking upstairs, she pondered over his different appearance, part of the reason why she had not recognized him in the first place. In the seven years he had been absent, he was taller and broader, and he had filled out more. His hair was still messy, and his scar still stood out on his face. His eyes were still green, and when he had looked at her at the dinner table, it was with the same fervor, perhaps more, that he looked at her before.

No. She commanded herself as she got into bed. He was back. But that did not mean she could go back to thinking about him all the time. The timing certainly was not perfect, but this was a test. Harry was a test. She loved Jason, and she was going to marry him, whether Harry was back in town or not.

She wondered how he handled Jason. Hopefully Ron or Hermione explained Jason to Harry, or it could get sticky.

Ginny got into bed and flipped off her lamp switch, purposefully ignoring the memories from the past that threatened her sanity.

_

* * *

The book had closed and trapped her thumb in between its pages as Ginny realized when she was woken from her slumber. She had fallen asleep in front of the fire, which had almost completely died down at this point. She was still dressed in her day robes, and must have been reading and drifted off on the carpeted floor. Sitting up, she sensed the presence of someone else. _

"_Good book?" came Harry's voice on the couch next to the fire. _

_Ginny smiled groggily as she looked up at him. "Yeah, it's great" she laughed sleepily. _

"_You should go to bed," he told her. "You look tired."_

"_I was thinking about it again."_

"_It?"_

"_You know," she said. "Everything that happened, even though it was a month ago. The battle. I had to get it off of my mind, so I tried to pretend I was Hermione and immerse myself in a book. I guess it didn't work too well."_

"_It's been on my mind a lot also…" Harry said slowly, now looking in the fire instead of at Ginny. _

"_Yeah…" There was a silence as Ginny searched for something to say to distract Harry, bring some happiness to his outlook on the battle. "I can't help but think," she began self-consciously. "I mean, I hate thinking this sometimes, but… we got really lucky."_

_Harry looked at her and raised his eyebrows, as if asking "How?"_

"_In the midst of everything. All of the killing, and- and the dying," she shuddered. "I still have my family. All of us. You would have guessed that, since there is so many of us, one or two would have died, but… something made it so that we all lived. My family, Hermione, you, me. The people we love most in life, we all got by. Sometimes," she added, "Sometimes I think it's only a dream, that we all scraped by, and I feel selfish. It was too easy for me. Nothing hard. I want something hard. I want to feel like I suffered also. I was the only one in my family, out of the whole wizarding world, practically, that didn't."_

_Harry got down on his knees beside me. "Ginny," he said, his tone pleading with her. "Ginny, do you know how relieved I am that you didn't suffer?"_

"_You don't understand, Harry," she hugged her knees to her chest and tried to make him grasp her feelings. "I don't _deserve _to just scrape by. I deserve the suffering; I'm the one who needs it… not you or anyone else. You've already gone through enough hardships in your life. You don't deserve anymore. I do. Out of everyone, I do."_

_He held her hands even tighter, as if to squeeze understanding into her. "No, Gin, that's not how it is supposed to be. You don't deserve that suffering. You deserve all of the happiness the world can give you, you deserve life. I can't tell you…how much easier it made my job- knowing you were safe, and I… I love you for it." His face was looming ever closer to hers, and he just barely whispered, "I love you…" _

_They did not need to explain their feelings to each other; they just accepted them and moved forward, both physically and emotionally. They felt it in equal proportions; thus, no explanation or words were needed. There was no hesitation, no questioning, because it was all right. _

_For the first time, Harry kissed her and Ginny kissed back. There, in front of the dying Gryffindor fire when all were asleep, safe in their beds because Voldemort was gone forever. And the kiss went on and was deepened further by the equal emotions pouring forth from both hearts. It was a new beginning for all. _

_

* * *

_

Well, there we go. Terrible, really, how ImadeGinny getting sick at the sight of Harry, but I didn't want something too cliche, so that's what my wacky muse came up with. Anyways, the previous passage was the first of many flashbacks thatyouwill be reading, and through themthe reasonsof Harry's departure and what happened to Ginny will be revealed. Hopefully thereshould be one per chapter, but I'm working on that.

Anyways please reviewthe story, and also let me know: Invisiblity or flying? Which one would you choose if you could have anymagical ability at all? Or would it be something else?


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to SnowflakeGinny, Maria, and The Shieldmaiden-Lady of Rohan for reviews!

A/N: Sorry it took a bit longer to update than usual, I've been going through a bit of a writer's block as of late. I've started this story off, but I'm finding it difficult to keep pace with what I want to happen. I'm interested in getting a Beta-reader who is highly Harry/Ginny and good with plot lines, so if you are or happen to know one of those, let them or me know.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

**The Stronger Love

* * *

**

"_Woman, by heaven you've stung me now!_

_Who dared to move my bed? _

_There is our pact and pledge, our secret sign, _

_Built into that bed—my handiwork_

_And no one else's!"_

_The Odyssey by Homer; XXIII.208-209;213-215.

* * *

_

Harry passed Ginny's old room on his way to breakfast. The door was open. Making sure that nobody was around, he peeked inside. The bed was unmade and clothes were on the floor. Ginny's cleaning habits hadn't changed in the least amount since the last time he saw her. She must have stayed home last night. He was tempted to look around her room, but doubted it would make his situation any more excusable if he were caught sneaking around her stuff.

"Good morning Harry!" Mrs. Weasley chirped as he walked into the kitchen. "How'd you sleep dear? I certainly hope it was well, your first time in so many years."

Harry smiled at her. "I slept very well, thanks."

A plate of breakfast made it's way into his hands as he noticed Ginny sitting at the table. Cautiously, he sat down across from her. Looking at her, he noticed that she had changed little in the past seven years. He wasn't sure what Fred and George said yesterday when they told him that she was different now. The same wild red hair framed her face, which was still peppered with freckles everywhere. Her skin was still as pale as he remembered, and her eyes were still large and brown. If anything, she only looked prettier to Harry; but then again, she always would.

He just hoped she would not get sick at the sight of him again.

She stared at him for a moment or two. "Hello Harry," she said, her voice tinted with hardness. Harry got the feeling that he was not welcome.

"Hey Gin," he said, trying to loosen her up a bit. He didn't like the unfamiliarity that governed her voice. "How are you?"

She frowned and looked at him sardonically. "How am I? I'm good. I _was _good. Thanks for asking," Ginny's voice was so sarcastic, Harry doubted he would ever manage to conjure the same spirit. "How have _you_ been over the last seven years?"

Harry realized how stupid his question had sounded. How could you sum up all of your feelings from the past seven years? Impossible.

Just then, Mrs. Weasley bustled over. "Ginny, Jason flooed while you were asleep and said that he would be coming over in a few minutes to pick you up. What were the two of you going to be doing again?"

Ginny stared long and hard at Harry before answering. "We're going to pick out the cake," she said, lifting her chin.

Harry did not like where this conversation was going. He had to get one thing cleared up before he did anything else.

"Who exactly is this Jason bloke anyway?"

Mrs. Weasley had a worried expression on her face. She didn't like where this conversation was heading. Ginny looked back at Harry and searched his face, as if hunting for a sign that she should go on. Harry wondered what the big deal was.

"That 'Jason bloke' is my fiancé, Harry," she said calmly. "We are getting married in August."

_Oh. That _was the big deal. That prick was Ginny's fiancé? Since when was she getting married to someone else? The anger coursed through Harry's veins.

"You're getting _married?_" Was all he managed to say.

"Yes, Harry. I am getting married to Jason."

Harry swallowed hard. Now he was the one that felt sick; his breakfast didn't look in the least bit appetizing. Ginny was supposed to be his, not someone else's. That was the way it was meant to be. He loved her. He always had, and the point was that they would spend the rest of their life together. His mind refused to grasp this fact; the fact that she was engaged to another man.

Obviously, the association of Jason marrying Ginny left Harry with a loathing for this man; the man that thought he could marry the girl that Harry loved. He wanted to give this bloke a piece of his mind, a piece of his fist, rather. But that would not be tactful; and it was not right to be thinking these thoughts in front of Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, who were looking at him as if trying to gauge his reaction to the news.

"Harry, are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley carefully asked. "I know it's all a bit sudden to hear, but it's been awhile since you've talked to Ginny." This time, he could sense a small defensive edge to her voice, as only a mother has when one of her children have been hurt.

_It's been awhile since you've talked to Ginny._

Harry wasn't so daft as to not realize why Ginny was putting on such a cold, disgusted front. She was punishing him for leaving so suddenly, and without warning. It wasn't easy for him to leave, he practically had to cut his heart away from her in order to do so. He knew how she felt, he knew it was hard for her. He needed to tell her that he understood.

"Mrs. Weasley, do you think I could talk to Ginny alone for a minute?" he asked.

Mrs. Weasley looked apprehensive, as if one second alone might kill the two of them. But when she saw Harry's confused face, she had to give in.

"Alright," she said, turning around and hurrying out of the kitchen.

A minute of silence passed.

"Look, if you don't have anything to say to me, I have to get ready to go," Ginny said, standing up.

"Do you love him?" Harry was tired of beating around the bush. He went straight to the question he wanted an answer to.

"Do I love him?" She repeated, her eyes narrowing sharply.

"Do you love Jason?"

"Yes, I do. I love him, and I want to marry him. I am going to marry him."

Harry felt the anger again. "Why didn't you wait?"

"Wait? Wait for what?" She asked sharply. "Wait to marry him? I did wait. We got engaged a year ago, so I am pretty sure I know what I'm doing."

"No, Ginny," Harry rubbed his temple. She was being frustrating on purpose. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

Her eyes changed from sharp to dagger points. "I did wait. I waited and waited and waited. And after I waited that long, I waited some more. So you are wrong, because I did wait. But you would have no idea about that, would you? Because you never knew just _how long_ I waited, since you never bothered to care."

Harry felt pain smoothing out his anger in inordinate amounts. "What makes you think I didn't care? You were all I thought about every minute of the day! I understand Ginny, I really do. I went through the same thing that you did. I had to wait, there was no other option, but I always knew I would come back."

Ginny turned her head away and angrily said, "That's where we differed Harry. You knew, and I didn't. For all I knew, you could have left me forever. It could have only been two months. But two months turned into a year, and one year turned into many." She shook her head and looked back at him, voice rising. "So you have no place to come back, expecting me to still be waiting here, the same person as I was before. A lot can happen in one year alone. Multiply that by seven and you can have a completely different person."

Harry was stunned to silence. Ginny was looking at him with that expression; the one that killed him. It was anger mixed with all sorts of emotions, ranging from loathing to sadness. But he could only see the despising, he could only feel the hate, and it would be some time before he could see the wholesome sadness present in her eyes.

There was an obnoxiously loud pop that exploded in the silence of the room and Jason appeared. Immediately, Harry was filled with a sensation that could only be described as jealousy, mingled in dislike and loathing. Envy evilly overtook his brain as Jason came up behind Ginny and snaked his arms around her waist and kissed her ear, commencing to ask her how she was feeling. Ginny of course smiled gorgeously and kissed him back, assuring him that she was fine.

That was where Harry was supposed to be, with his arms around her waist, kissing her and asking how she slept. The fact of there being another man in that position made Harry glower.

"Harry, this is Jason Fields," Ginny introduced him. Wanting to face him somewhat like a man, Harry stood up and shook his hand, making sure to tighten his grip as hard as he could without looking too suspicious to Ginny. "And Jason, this is Harry Potter."

"Harry, it's nice to meet- Harry Potter? _The _Harry Potter?" Jason looked incredulous. "Ginny, how do you know this man? By the way, I am very pleased to meet you," he said amiably.

Harry narrowed his eyes. He did not like this man at all; he smiled too much. Or possibly Harry was just biased because it was Ginny's future husband, and it was not him. He took this moment to brag.

"Ginny and I go way back, Jason," he said, standing up straighter, so that he was an inch taller than Jason. "I've known her almost all of my life, and we were very good friends at one point."

Behind Jason, he saw Ginny's eyes narrow a fraction or so.

"Oh, really? She never mentioned you before," Jason said slowly. His tone was becoming defensive to counter Harry's words.

"Well, I was away for a while," he said as he swiveled his eyes to meet Ginny's. "But I'm back, and I am planning to stay." He hoped that she would understand his jargon; he was not going to give her up without a fight.

* * *

As she watched the two men size each other up, Ginny realized that it would not be simple getting rid of Harry. His eyes constantly swung her way, his tone was challenging Jason, and his words showed possession.

She sighed. It would be difficult, but she had to persuade Harry that she wasn't going to let him into her life like before. But she accepted the fact that his personality dictated that he go down fighting, and she prayed that Jason keep his sanity, because Harry wouldn't make it easy. It annoyed her, but was unavoidable nevertheless.

Jason stood shorter than Harry by at least one inch. Whereas Jason was lean and tanned, Harry was dark and broad. Jason's hair was neatly styled, Harry's was the usual maelstrom. They were complete opposites, and it was funny how Ginny loved or had loved both at one point in time. She supposed part of the reason she was attracted to Jason in the first place was because he didn't remind her of Harry.

Ginny immediately knew that Jason sensed that Harry was bad news too, and his next words proved it. "Well, it'll be nice having you around." The smile didn't reach his eyes, and Ginny saw his hand clench instinctively behind his back. This was not a good situation.

"Well, we'd better be going," she intervened, taking Jason's hand. "We'll talk to you later, Harry."

Once out of the house, Jason turned to her. "I don't like him," he stated plainly. "Even if he is the famous 'Boy-Who-Lived', I still don't like him. He's got this air about him, it's like this dominating and superior demeanor, you know? Did you get that feeling?"

"Yeah, yeah," Ginny said. "I did. I know how you felt." It couldn't be nearer to the truth.

"Was he always like that, back when you were at Hogwarts?"

Ginny reflected on the amiable and sweet boy Harry had been, to the lonely person Harry had been before Voldemort's fall, to the humble man he turned out to be afterwards. Dominating seemed to be the one word that did not fit in his description.

"Yeah," she lied softly. "I guess he hasn't changed much."

"And he said you guys were good friends," Jason recalled, tilting his head ever so slightly in Ginny's direction.

Oy vey, this conversation was becoming tricky. Then again, she supposed it was good that Jason disliked Harry; this way, he could be on his guard against Harry's possessive character, the one would not take "no" for an answer.

"Well, he was Ron's best mate, and he still is today. He, Ron, and Hermione were all best friends, and I was with them a lot, so it was pretty much friendship by connection," Ginny explained, halving the reality of what their relationship once was.

"Right, well, he shouldn't think so highly of himself just because he killed You-Know- Who. I mean, it was just by chance that he managed to kill the most nefarious wizard alive at only seventeen. I'm sure there were other, more experienced wizards who could also have killed You-Know-Who. He is out of line, believing he's better than the rest of us."

Ginny cast her eyes downward, not able to respond appropriately. This was where she really couldn't confabulate the past. It was Harry's sensitive subject; other people thinking that he was a spoiled rich boy who developed an "I'm-better-than-you-are" attitude because he killed Voldemort. It was false, it was wrong, it was cruel, and he had spent many years combating the public's opinions on his personal life. Ginny and her family helped him fight this battle, so when Jason proceeded to assume things about Harry's personality, she did not comment nor disagree.

* * *

"Damnit Ron! Where are you?" Harry stomped around his best friends' flat as he searched for Ron. Anger was obscuring his brain, preventing him from thinking clearly.

"Harry, mate, what's wrong?" Ron came out of a room down the hallway.

"What's wrong? That's a good question Ron, thanks for asking," Harry said sarcastically.

Ron frowned. "Alright, you're welcome. Now what's wrong?"

Harry rolled his eyes impatiently. "The problem is the fact that there is a ring on your sister's finger, and it is not mine, and I didn't find out until this morning."

Ron's face started turning red. "Oh, that…"

"Bugger, Ron! Why didn't you tell me in the letters? We wrote hundreds of them; the only person I asked about in every single bloody letter was Ginny, so why am I finding out a very important piece of information about her today?"

"Harry, keep your voice down!" Ron whispered urgently. "Hermione's here, and if she finds out about the letters, she'll get very angry and… you know what she's like when she's angry."

"Ron, _I _am angry. How could you _not_ tell me this?"

"I very bloody well couldn't have."

"Enlighten me."

"I couldn't, Harry. Just like you had to leave."

"What, crazy Cornelius Fudge jumped out of nowhere and told he'd send you to Azkaban if you revealed this rather critical information to me?"

"No, not like that," Ron paused, and sighed in exasperation. "I was- we all were- a little bitter. Not about the engagement, but about you leaving Ginny."

"So not telling me was some sort of punishment for leaving?"

Ron didn't say anything. He sat there, staring at his lap.

"You've got to understand," he said. "Jason came along at just the right time for Ginny. We were all very impressed with him, and Ginny was taken with him…"

"Ron, I'd rather prefer that you didn't tell me everything about how they fell in love. I'm not in the mood to hear it; I don't think I'll ever be."

"I think that you should hear this," Ron stated quietly. "Anyways, when he started dating Ginny, we were all apprehensive. But soon, it became clear that she was happier than she had ever been since you left. That was when I decided that telling you was wrong; that if you came back because she was dating another man would be worst for her."

"Just bloody admit it Ron: half of it was punishment."

He didn't say anything at all, and they sat in silence until Ron finally spoke up.

"I don't think he's right for her anymore. No matter how perfect they seem together, there are little things," Ron admitted. "Jason- he likes to work too much. Gin puts up with it, but I can see she gets annoyed by it. She puts up with it now, but when they're married, who knows? He's so absorbed in his business, I can't help thinking that she will end up unhappy."

Harry thought for a moment. "Ron, would you give me permission to do something? Would you allow me to get Ginny back?"

Ron looked at him sharply, as if questioning whether his intentions were honorable.

"That depends," he said slowly. "Are you planning on packing your bags again?"

"I'm staying. For good," he added. "Unless she really does marry Jason. Then I might be tempted to get away."

Minutes passed as Ron thought it over. He respected Harry's wish to get some form of permission before he really started bugging Jason. He also respected the fact that Harry was still in love with his little sister, and was determined to get her back. Furthermore, he trusted his best mate more than he trusted Jason. He understood Harry's reasons for leaving.

"Permission granted," he nodded solemnly, fighting the urge to smile.

* * *

_Ginny was so elated that she was unable to describe it. In all her sixteen years, Harry managed to make her the nicest person on earth. He made her so joyous that her perspective on everything- from world issues to her daily chores- changed dramatically. Everything she did made her smile, she skipped around the house with a huge smile on her face. He made her a nicer person. She even felt physically altered; she knew she was prettier when he was around._

_After many boyfriends, she was finally denuded and her emotions laid bare for him to look upon. She wasn't ashamed or self-conscious; Ginny felt confident and her self-esteem soared high. She wanted to share all of her feelings and thoughts with him. _

_It was one of those things. Ginny saw fire and she knew it was hot. She saw snow and she knew it was cold. She saw knives, and she knew they caused pain. She saw Harry, and she knew she was in love._

_That summer was the happiest time of her life thus far. Although Harry would not be at Hogwarts next year, she was excited since it would be her last, and then she would be out, free to live life in the world. Free to be with Harry without time restraints. Not having one little summer to be together before they had to separate, but a whole lifetime. _

_For the present time, she and Harry soaked up the summer, living each day without regrets, trying to stretch time to accompany their wishes and last longer. _

_Two weeks before Ginny had to go back to Hogwarts for her final year, Harry took Ginny out for a walk. For the first mile or so, they held hands and chatted over frivolous subjects. Then, Harry suddenly stopped. _

_"After you leave Hogwarts," he blurted suddenly. "I want you to promise me something_."

_Ginny felt confused, and she half-smiled, eager to know what he had to say. "What?"_

_"Promise me that… that you'll…" he struggled to find words to express his wish. "I want to be with you Ginny, for the rest of your life. I'm not joking, I'm perfectly serious," he stated. When Ginny looked in his eyes, she saw the truth in them; he was perfectly serious, there was no joke expressed there. "I want to marry you Ginny. I want to be with you everyday, every night, all the time."_

_She felt a pleasant shiver soar up her spine and tinge her cheeks. _

_"But we can't do it now, of course, and we can't do it when you're only seventeen. We need to wait, but I know I'll always want this. We're too young now, we should wait till we're at least- twenty or something, I don't know. But can you promise me, Ginny? That you'll wait… wait for me?"_

_"Harry," she soothed. "Of course I'll wait for you. Besides, what are you talking about? You're acting as if we're all going to die or something like that… What's wrong?" _

_"I can't guarantee that it'll be easy, Gin," he continued, not answering her question. "It'll be hard for both of us… waiting, you know? But please, please promise me." He tightened his hold on both of her hands, and looked hard into her eyes._

_Although she had no clue as to what he was talking about, she trusted him, and when he asked if she would wait to marry him, she pressed her lips to his in answer. _

_Two weeks later, the Hogwarts Express came to whisk Ginny off to school and away from Harry. They bid each other goodbye, promised to write, see each other at Christmas. Waving from her compartment window, Ginny got a long look at Harry. It would be a very long time till she saw him again.

* * *

Heh. The flashbacks are easily becoming my favorite thing to write._

Anyways, please spare a minute and (gives pleading look) review. Thanks!


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